DeVault: Reforming the free software message

Posted Jun 20, 2023 21:47 UTC (Tue) by khim (subscriber, #9252)
In reply to: DeVault: Reforming the free software message by Wol
Parent article: DeVault: Reforming the free software message

> I used to describe RMS as a prophet - a lot of what he predicted has come true. Now he seems much more a Cassandra - his terrible predictions are self-fulfilling, and he is one of the main causes of it!

I think it's worse than that. For every well-meaning Drew DeVault there are dozen FSF zealots like @donbarry or @rahulsundaram who are doing everything they could to ensure no one would join FSF's side.

Ultimately we would have the web site which would simply explain what “Free software” movement was, why it no longer exist and why one shouldn't use that term today.

The only way to avoid that fate is public condemnation of FSF Zealots of the FSF's web site (not on some whitewashing site) which is not gonna happen as long as RMS lives.

The web site itself is really well-done, there are no doubt about that, but no, the problem with FSF is not it's poor web site.

It's that vitriol of FSF Zealots to anyone who is not sharing their religion that makes FSF toxic, not any problems with the web site.

DeVault: Reforming the free software message

Posted Jun 20, 2023 22:13 UTC (Tue) by pebolle (guest, #35204) [Link] (3 responses)

> FSF zealots [...] FSF Zealots [...] FSF Zealots

Apparently one time is not enough to get a message across, right?

DeVault: Reforming the free software message

Posted Jun 20, 2023 23:26 UTC (Tue) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link] (2 responses)

No, you just need to distinguish people like Drew DeVault who just try to support “free software” as much as they could (pointless exercise if you'll ask me, but hey, it's their choice!) from people like @donbarry or @rahulsundaram who proclaim that anyone who doesn't subscribe under their ideals is their enemy and is not worth talking to.

If you have better name for that later ones than “FSF Zealots” then I would use it. So far “FSF Zealot” looks like the best moniker for them.

DeVault: Reforming the free software message

Posted Jun 21, 2023 8:24 UTC (Wed) by mattdm (subscriber, #18) [Link] (1 responses)

Uh, do you know a different @rahulsundaram than I do?

DeVault: Reforming the free software message

Posted Jun 21, 2023 11:18 UTC (Wed) by rsidd (subscriber, #2582) [Link]

Indeed, he must be thinking of someone else. The only comment by @rahulsundaram on this thread is a completely valid point about a confusing double-negative, which has been fixed now.